School Bells - current affairs – Grade 1 – Week 6
This is my sixth week to meet with my adopted niece’s first grade class to discuss current affairs or concerns of first graders. Although these young people are only in the first grade they are very aware of many of the issues which affect all of us. Certainly they are much more aware than I was at that age, although I do recall adults discussing various issues and a growing awareness of racism, war, politics, and personal morals/values. I was also frequently reminded that “money does not grow on trees” and my behavior reflected on the skill or worth of my parents as parents.
I was aware of serious illness and the fact that members of our families did not go to the doctor unless it was determined to be an acute emergency. People were expected to just live with some illnesses such as what we now call Post Traumatic stress disorder which was then called shell shock. Later I had friends who lived with symptoms of such illnesses as polio for the remainder of their lives. Yet, we have found a way to prevent most new cases of polio. It seems as if today there is more hope or perhaps an expectation that a cure will be found for illnesses such as the muscular dystrophy with which Sue lives. The first I time met with this class and asked the students to share some of their concerns, Sue shared that she was worried that we would run out of money to research treatment for a cure for illnesses such as the one she lives with – muscular dystrophy. I promised her that today we would discuss her concerns. As always this should be an interesting discussion.
Here comes the class now.
Me: Good morning class. I hope that everyone is doing well.
Sam: Uncle Jim, do we have cookies today?
Me: No, not today Sam.
Me: Today we are going to talk about Sue’s concern. Sue, would you please tell the class the concern you shared with us the first week we met?
Sue: I keep hearing that the country is broke and we need to spend more money on police and wars. Is there going to be any money left to help people find a cure for diseases like mine?
Sam: In my brother’s class they are talking about the fact that we often do not think about the difference between wants and needs.
Sue: Are you saying that my wanting money to be spent on finding a cure for muscular dystrophy is a want and not a need?
Sam: I am sorry. That is not what I meant. In my family we are talking about how much money we could use to help others if we only spent money on needs.
Sue: I understand. I misunderstood Sam.
Tommy: Didn’t that Facebook guy just give a lot of money to help fight disease or something?
Me: Yes, let me call up that information on goggle. Ah, here we are:
“Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan,
have announced the next phase of their philanthropy efforts: curing all diseases in the lifetime of their 10-month-old daughter, Max.”
At a press conference in San Francisco on Wednesday, the couple said that they will invest $3 billion into research on curing the world’s diseases… (busiessinsider.com, September 21, 2016)
Sofia: That is a lot of money isn’t it Mr. Jim?
Me: Yes, it is. Does everyone know what the word philanthropy means?
Tara: I know. It means when you give a gift even though you don’t have to.
Me: That is right Tara. I am impressed that you know this.
Tara: My grandparents recently had a family meeting. My family is big on family meetings which are really boring. Well, not always, but … Oh yeah! They said that they had sold their big farm for a lot of money and we had to decide whether they should save it for us or give it to help people who are refugees.
Me: That is wonderful. What did the family decide Tara?
Tara: To give the money to help others. I wanted to ask for a new iPad first , but I was afraid that they would think I was unkind. It is hard being good sometimes!
Me: Yes, it is. So all of us have to decide how to divide up our money. Who decides how we will spend the money we pay in taxes?
Steve: All those people in Washington Mr. Jim.
Me: How do those people in Washington get there?
Susie: They drive or take a plane or take a train. (Sigh).
(There are a few snickers.)
Me: Who elects the people who go to Washington to decide how to spend money and make other decisions?
Ahmes: We cannot vote Mr. Jim
Me: No, but one day you will vote. Who you vote for will make those big decisions.
Tommy: No one has to vote on that Facebook guy.
Me: That is true but I think that it is going to take even more than that. As a country our total budget is over 4.0 trillion. Let me write that down on the board. There is a lot more money that we have to decide how to spend.
Steve: If we spend it all on war we will not have any left to find a cure for diseases.
Me: That is true and the money that some give to fight disease may get used to fight a new threat. What is a new health threat?
Sam: The zik a virus Uncle Jim.
Me: Yes, the zika virus. Sometimes we have to use money we thought we could spend for something else on a new illness.
Ahmes: Is that like our emergency fund at home?
Me: Yes.
Sam: Uncle Jim, are you saying that it is up to us to send people to Washington who will make sure some of our money is spent to help cure diseases?
Me: Sam, that is exactly what I am saying. I am saying that the money others give helps, but we all have to decide how to spend our tax money. Just like Sam’s family is practicing deciding what is a want and what is a need,we as a country have to decide the same thing.
Steve: So all of us can decide?
Me: Exactly. With research we never know if we are going to find something in time to help Sue but there are many Sues.
Tommy: Is that like all for one and one for all.
Me: You all amaze me. That is exactly what it is like Tommy.
Goodness, the time is up. Next week we will discuss Susie’s question of whether the trees help us breathe. Perhaps we can also ask if trees and plants have feelings.
Tara: Feelings?
Ring. Ring. Ring!
Me: Have a good week. That you. You are all amazing.
Written September 22, 2016
This is my sixth week to meet with my adopted niece’s first grade class to discuss current affairs or concerns of first graders. Although these young people are only in the first grade they are very aware of many of the issues which affect all of us. Certainly they are much more aware than I was at that age, although I do recall adults discussing various issues and a growing awareness of racism, war, politics, and personal morals/values. I was also frequently reminded that “money does not grow on trees” and my behavior reflected on the skill or worth of my parents as parents.
I was aware of serious illness and the fact that members of our families did not go to the doctor unless it was determined to be an acute emergency. People were expected to just live with some illnesses such as what we now call Post Traumatic stress disorder which was then called shell shock. Later I had friends who lived with symptoms of such illnesses as polio for the remainder of their lives. Yet, we have found a way to prevent most new cases of polio. It seems as if today there is more hope or perhaps an expectation that a cure will be found for illnesses such as the muscular dystrophy with which Sue lives. The first I time met with this class and asked the students to share some of their concerns, Sue shared that she was worried that we would run out of money to research treatment for a cure for illnesses such as the one she lives with – muscular dystrophy. I promised her that today we would discuss her concerns. As always this should be an interesting discussion.
Here comes the class now.
Me: Good morning class. I hope that everyone is doing well.
Sam: Uncle Jim, do we have cookies today?
Me: No, not today Sam.
Me: Today we are going to talk about Sue’s concern. Sue, would you please tell the class the concern you shared with us the first week we met?
Sue: I keep hearing that the country is broke and we need to spend more money on police and wars. Is there going to be any money left to help people find a cure for diseases like mine?
Sam: In my brother’s class they are talking about the fact that we often do not think about the difference between wants and needs.
Sue: Are you saying that my wanting money to be spent on finding a cure for muscular dystrophy is a want and not a need?
Sam: I am sorry. That is not what I meant. In my family we are talking about how much money we could use to help others if we only spent money on needs.
Sue: I understand. I misunderstood Sam.
Tommy: Didn’t that Facebook guy just give a lot of money to help fight disease or something?
Me: Yes, let me call up that information on goggle. Ah, here we are:
“Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan,
have announced the next phase of their philanthropy efforts: curing all diseases in the lifetime of their 10-month-old daughter, Max.”
At a press conference in San Francisco on Wednesday, the couple said that they will invest $3 billion into research on curing the world’s diseases… (busiessinsider.com, September 21, 2016)
Sofia: That is a lot of money isn’t it Mr. Jim?
Me: Yes, it is. Does everyone know what the word philanthropy means?
Tara: I know. It means when you give a gift even though you don’t have to.
Me: That is right Tara. I am impressed that you know this.
Tara: My grandparents recently had a family meeting. My family is big on family meetings which are really boring. Well, not always, but … Oh yeah! They said that they had sold their big farm for a lot of money and we had to decide whether they should save it for us or give it to help people who are refugees.
Me: That is wonderful. What did the family decide Tara?
Tara: To give the money to help others. I wanted to ask for a new iPad first , but I was afraid that they would think I was unkind. It is hard being good sometimes!
Me: Yes, it is. So all of us have to decide how to divide up our money. Who decides how we will spend the money we pay in taxes?
Steve: All those people in Washington Mr. Jim.
Me: How do those people in Washington get there?
Susie: They drive or take a plane or take a train. (Sigh).
(There are a few snickers.)
Me: Who elects the people who go to Washington to decide how to spend money and make other decisions?
Ahmes: We cannot vote Mr. Jim
Me: No, but one day you will vote. Who you vote for will make those big decisions.
Tommy: No one has to vote on that Facebook guy.
Me: That is true but I think that it is going to take even more than that. As a country our total budget is over 4.0 trillion. Let me write that down on the board. There is a lot more money that we have to decide how to spend.
Steve: If we spend it all on war we will not have any left to find a cure for diseases.
Me: That is true and the money that some give to fight disease may get used to fight a new threat. What is a new health threat?
Sam: The zik a virus Uncle Jim.
Me: Yes, the zika virus. Sometimes we have to use money we thought we could spend for something else on a new illness.
Ahmes: Is that like our emergency fund at home?
Me: Yes.
Sam: Uncle Jim, are you saying that it is up to us to send people to Washington who will make sure some of our money is spent to help cure diseases?
Me: Sam, that is exactly what I am saying. I am saying that the money others give helps, but we all have to decide how to spend our tax money. Just like Sam’s family is practicing deciding what is a want and what is a need,we as a country have to decide the same thing.
Steve: So all of us can decide?
Me: Exactly. With research we never know if we are going to find something in time to help Sue but there are many Sues.
Tommy: Is that like all for one and one for all.
Me: You all amaze me. That is exactly what it is like Tommy.
Goodness, the time is up. Next week we will discuss Susie’s question of whether the trees help us breathe. Perhaps we can also ask if trees and plants have feelings.
Tara: Feelings?
Ring. Ring. Ring!
Me: Have a good week. That you. You are all amazing.
Written September 22, 2016
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